ILGA-Asia Conference Bangkok 2013: LGBTI Education

Indonesia is democratic country. Many LGBTI organizations started in the last 5 years. Key interest mainly to support LGBT people. LGBT Education is the main goal so we start it from the very important part.

Behavior change is also priority but it doesn’t happen instantly. Children bully at school. Homophobic bullying is the second largest bully in the world after body “weight” (UNESCO). Impact of bullying is really bad and this affect children and we should educate them that we are equal. Bullying turns into physical violence. We learn violence among LGBT turned into family violence and public violence. Even teachers bullying the students ‘calling gay student’. Then there comes the challenge. We need to strategize. There is an organizations in Bullying and Self Healing, Health and Reproductive Health and more. We should open more professional NGOs, because we believe that experts can help professionally those who are victims. There is also LGBTIQ friendly trainers in those organizations. Bully connects with human rights and child right too. We mean self security and self healing. You will be judged by people just because we are being ourselves. Education is the only way to stop LGBT discrimination in terms of bully at school that is in the very early age of children. Indonesian government has a new strategy in education and starting to have subjects on sexual orientation. International schools are opening and they have a good influence on LGBT community and they educate children that we are all equal.

We have trainings and meetings with children so children can talk to each other how they have been affected because they are bullied. One example is that one child’s father took picture of his son with his partner with comments on twitter and that child got 1000 twitter followers among many Islamic groups. The child was talking how stressful times he’s been through. He got many threats and emails and messages. This tells us that bully is not just verbal, it’s via network too which is very dangerous because you don’t know who you are interacting with.

NEPAL:

After widespread ignorance about LGBTI issues at Chandra Campus, SGMSFN was formed in January 2009. We had our first official meeting with ten people. This was the biggest and brave step for us and we are so happy that we are making history. Purpose was of course to support LGBTI issues. We are trying to make inclusion of LGBTI issues in University curriculum, support in enrollment and examinations. We made official press releases for sensitization. We support them to have the real identification so they are happy about themselves. We organized Mr.Pink contest which brought us very positive points in LBGTI education among public. Many LGBTI students enrolled at University. Of course there are many challenges. But we are getting support from individuals but not many from official proper support from organizations. Nepal is approaching new step of LGBTI people are more accepted.

TAIWAN:

LGBTI Education in Taiwan.

For the last ten years Taiwan’s governing authorities have improved gender equity education actively. In 2001, the Ministry of Education put gender education as a major issue.The Gender Equity Education Act, published and released in 2004. Based on the The Gender Equity Education Act, every semester at least has to implement 4 hours gender equity in education programs or activities. In order to promote LGBT education Ministry of Education published 4 books, manuals, reference books for Teachers and other manuals which covered all school levels, elementary to high school books. In 2009 Ministry of Education started implementing curriculum in Introduction Consulting Team of gender equity of education issue consulting group. Controversy is that LGBT education was implemented in gender equity education curriculum of junior hich school and many religious groups were against them. Many people also opposed the idea of educating children with LGBT issues. In July 2011, Ministry of Education held 4 times public hearings among LGBT issue. This was one of the biggest positive impact on public. Shu Ji Jia is very famous professor and she put through LGBT education into public education. It also educating children know more about sexual desease prevention and safe sex education. Now most teachers and parents accepting the implementation of LGBT education after understanding the contents.

Educational systems is establishing Gender Equity Acts and policies and designed syllabus in education. Also training teachers with LGBT education systematically. The central competent authority should actively promote the concept of the LGBT education to assess the LGBT educational effectiveness.

Indonesian representative said Taiwan’s situation is Indonesian dream which was the end of the presentation. Education is the key to understand and why we should not discriminate each other because we are LGBT. We are all equal and that’s what we all need to know.